Jets 2026 offseason hater has ridiculous justification for low grade

The New York Jets have largely been heralded for their efforts in the 2026 offseason, as they blended veteran additions like Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick with youthful long-term swings like David Bailey in the NFL Draft and Joseph Ossai in free agency. That wasn't enough to convince one analyst, who believes the Jets should just punt on the 2026 season.

ESPN's Seth Walder gave the Jets a "C" grade for their 2026 offseason performance, but the reason for those poor grades doesn't make sense when held up to scrutiny. Walder said one "might think this was a team pushing for a title" when looking at the vets they added, saying they "were puzzling for a team with no hope of contention in 2026 and hinted at raising the floor for a coach on the hot seat."

Well...what are they supposed to do? In essence, Walder looked at a 3-14 team that was decimal points away from a No. 1 overall pick, saw how they are trying to gradually improve the roster to give Aaron Glenn a shot at proving he can be a great coach, and said that their floor-raising efforts were the wrong move.

ESPN weirdly rips Jets for 2026 offseason additions

According to Walder's logic (which is often skewed too far in favor of accumulating draft picks with an eye on the future), the Jets should just lay down and die, accept 2027 as a lost cause, and try again with a new staff next year. Walder is apparently ignoring what another wretched season would do to Garrett Wilson's desire to stay and Darren Mougey's job security.

Walder also ripped the Jets for not trying to "hit the quarterback lottery on a younger player" and rolling with Geno Smith. Who was out there? Free agency didn't provide anyone; Dante Moore went back to Oregon rather than get picked #2 overall, and the 2026 NFL Draft had three quarterbacks worthy of being picked in the first three rounds. Carson Beck and Drew Allar were overdrafted.

Did Walder want the Jets to take Ty Simpson at No. 2? Clearly, because he didn't like Cade Klubnik in the fourth round as the team's lone signal-calling swing.

The Jets have historically not given analysts reason to believe that many of their moves would work out, but shouldn't they be trying to turn this thing around instead of tanking for a third consecutive season? Only the Jets can add players like Davis and Fitzpatrick on reasonable contracts and still get ripped for it.

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